Electrochemical Sc 2O 3 single crystal growth

Abstract

Scandium oxide single crystals were successfully grown electrochemically by applying the Sc 3+ ion-conducting Sc 2(MoO 4) 3 solid electrolyte at 1223 K. The single crystal growth can be regulated by the electrolysis condition, and the crystal size can be intentionally controlled by adjusting the electrolysis period. Although the single crystal growth of such refractory oxides as Sc 2O 3 is considerably difficult by the conventional thermal heating-cooling crystal growth procedure because of the high melting point of Sc 2O 3 (ca. 2823 K), the electrochemical single crystal growth presented in this study can be simply applicable at moderate temperatures around 1273 K for the single crystal growth. This method is also available to the other rare earth oxides by applying a series of Ln 2(MoO 4) 3 solid electrolytes in which the target rare earth ion conducts.